Rendell: We Can’t Cut Budget; Must Raise Income Tax Rate

WPXI (Pittsburgh) ^ | 06/16/2009 | staff

[Kid Shelleen]

Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell announced at a press conference that an increase in the state personal income tax was the only way to deal with a $3.2 billion state budget deficit.

At the Westinghouse complex in Cranberry, Rendell said he is going to have to increase state personal income tax to 3.57 percent. After three years, he said the tax rate will return to its current 3.07 percent.

Channel 11 News looked up the latest census data on Pennsylvania and found that the median household income was $49,145. A household with this income would pay an additional $245.73 a year in state taxes

[Kid Shelleen]

**** Philly Metro/Delaware Valley Ping ****

Darn; there goes my Obama tax cut !

[pnh102]

LOL. The income tax rate in Penna. has been “temporarily” hiked since what, 1990?

[WackySam]

Rendell said he is going to have to increase state personal income tax to 3.57 percent. After three years, he said the tax rate will return to its current 3.07 percent.

LOL!

[reefdiver]

I’m sure if a responsible person looked at this budget, cut’s would be found and made. But He’s right, He can’t do it. So He should resign.

[headstamp 2]

“At the Westinghouse complex in Cranberry, Rendell said he is going to have to increase state personal income tax to 3.57 percent. After three years, he said the tax rate will return to its current 3.07 percent.”

I see Fast Eddie is also a comedian.

[JavaJumpy]

Somebody please search the net...wasn’t it Rendell sitting with two others (I think one female, one male) during the Dem convention who shook his finger into the camera and promised America not one penny more in taxes? I’d love to see that video clip right now. The news media in Pittsburgh should air it right along with this story, in fact.

[karatemom]

Yeah, right Eddie! It will return to its current 3.07 percent!!!BWAHAHAHAHAHA!

[2banana]

FYI - When Gov. Ed Rendell took office - the state income tax was 2%.

[orinoco]

It was Wall Street and the governments fault for not enforcing regulations and ignoring problems when they were reported to finance committees.

Pa. government is big and inefficient. Cuts can and should be made. Raising taxes is the easy way out for the socialist Rendell.

[Lancey Howard]

After three years, he said the tax rate will return to its current 3.07 percent.

LMBO!!!

Thank goodness we have an overwhelming (29 - 21) GOP Senate firewall here in Pennsylvania.

[VRWC For Truth]

Democrats can cut. It's that they WON'T is the problem. Rendell needs to be taken to the woodshed and how.

[JohnLongIsland]

Pat Toomey, time to pounce on this.

[Gritty]

Good idea, Ed. Raise taxes in the midst of a deep recession just so you don't have to look for any cuts in the bloated state budget!

Rendell is either unbelievably lazy, totally incompetent, or simply doesn't care to cut state costs.

It is not believable there aren't many programs which can either be cut or entirely eliminated. I'd wager cutting 10-15% would be a piece of cake. But then, why would a Liberal want to do that? He gets elected by handing out other people's hard earned money for votes!

[Graybeard58]

Biggest damn'd lie ever told, "temporary tax hike".

[Lancey Howard]

This isn’t what you had in mind, but it’s close:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OmMCkBWE1T0

[lowbridge]

Rendell: We Can’t Cut Budget

Not can't. Won't.

[Jeb21]

Tell it to Sarah Palin. She’s cutting her budget in Alaska while their financial situation is relatively GOOD.

[popdonnelly]

Translation: He can’t cut the budget, because he owes a political debt to too many groups who benefit from it.

[Virginia Ridgerunner]

And my property taxes in Adams County just went up 4%, with a re-assessment under way.

Rendell may have trouble with this plan of his though since the Pennsylvania legislature is controlled by Republicans (barely).